Power
by NoSignalBlueScreen
Summary: Paul is haunted by his past. To cope he has hidden it away and become cold. Powerful pokemon are the only pokemon worth training... his father had said to him. Why does Reggie not see that? Hopefully he'll learn the lesson Reggie wished for him to learn. "Power... isn't the only thing in this world worth working and fighting for..." A prequel story for the Master Challenge.


**You may want to read the Master Challenge up to the point in the Hoenn Arc called: Lilycove**

**To avoid Spoilers**

**Enjoy! :D**

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Paul watched a small Azurill hide underwater, a tiny Diglett burrow swiftly past, even a flower move away on a tuff of green. He had never seen a pokemon like that before. He was intrigued and ecstatic to see so many pokemon, though his father must not have seen the strange pokemon since he didn't mention it as he approached or of course he just didn't care. Either one was completely plausible in his father's case.

"Do you see all these tiny and small pokemon, Paul?" He asked and stared at him with such indifference, but Paul was somewhat used to it.

"Yessir… I do," Paul nodded.

"Do you know why they must hide in the rivers and grass? Why they are so tiny?" His father asked.

Paul could tell now that his father was analyzing him to see how he would respond. Paul didn't know this innately; it was because of his father's apparent choice to do such a thing frequently that Paul knew it was coming. Conditional training for a child…

"No…" Paul spoke. He knew the question didn't actually need an answer, but his father wasn't speaking. The man's silent glare made him uncomfortable.

"It's because they're weak… They aren't strong enough so they must flee or hide," He answered. He did a good job of pervading Paul's mind with the importance of this lesson. Paul would learn it quickly in fear that perhaps his father would grow even farther apart from him. One less thing they would have in common, other than their eyes. _Besides__… __That__'__s logical__… __and that__'__s all that matters, right? Small pokemon hide because their weak. W__eak pokemon aren__'__t good for battling T__here was nothing more that mattered other than that__…_

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"You have that box with the lamps in it?" Reggie asked cheerily. Paul sighed as he hefted the box. The box was a tad bit too big for him. Once he became a better trainer though then... then he would be strong.

"Paul?" Reggie asked again.

"Yes... I have the box," Paul huffed.

He walked out towards the truck that was waiting for them since they had just arrived in Sinnoh, far away from the place he was born. It had been his father's wish after all. Why? He had no clue. Their mother had left them when they were young. Their father had tried to raise them but didn't seem to know what to do with them. If it wasn't for a kind neighbor, who had long ago seen her children grow up and leave, they might've never been raised decently at all. Now that they were old enough to live on their own or at least Reggie was, their father had sent them to Sinnoh. Did he not want them or something? Paul was broken from his thoughts by Reggie's voice.

"Well that's all of it! We can finally hit the road. Can you imagine, Paul? Having a whole breeding center to run? You'll get to start your journey soon too," Reggie said happily and started to move towards the moving truck they would be riding in. Paul grumbled and started that way as well. Reggie had not too long ago, given up on being a trainer after a tough battle against the Pyramid king, Brandon. He didn't understand why his brother just gave up like that. Their father had always told them how important a pokemon's power was. Why did Reggie seem to ignore that? Did he know something Paul didn't?

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The rain had started a couple hours ago. Paul had offered to ride in the back of the van with the furniture and boxes. He didn't do it for Reggie's sake or even because it was comfortable or something, because it wasn't. He did it because he wanted to be alone with his thoughts. He could remember his father so well. His father had been very young when Paul was born and even younger when Reggie was, seventeen. Seventeen is really young to have your first child, but father had alway been a bit roguish. Perhaps he didn't feel wanted? If that was the case he didn't ever show it, not that he showed many emotions. He always talked about how strong pokemon were important, though Paul always seemed to see some sort of conflict in his eyes when he spoke those words as if he wasn't sure of that himself. His father looked a bit angry the day he told them they would be leaving for Sinnoh without him. Really his father was simply too quiet and complex to understand him... at least without some background info, which, especially at the time, wasn't accessible to Paul.

"We're here, Mr. Rebolledo!" Paul heard from the front. I guess this was it.

"A new life..." Paul breathed out before laughing a bit bitterly.

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"So... Why did you choose Turtwig?" Reggie asked. Paul would be going to start his journey in a couple days. He had obtained his Turtwig from Professor Rowan. It had been during that time when they were in limbo. Preparing to leave for Sinnoh, having visited a few times, once to get Turtwig... Reggie had come back to battle Brandon soon after and Paul had seen him lose. The two brothers were enjoying a somewhat peaceful breakfast that morning.

Paul was finishing a piece of toast and had taken a sip from his black coffee. He glared at Reggie for a moment after his brother had asked him the question. Reggie looked back at him; it always unnerved the young man when Paul glanced at him like that. Finally, his younger brother spoke.

"Yes... I got Turtwig because, it has many weaknesses at first but it has a little less by the time it is fully evolved. Plus, it can learn Stone edge which covers almost every one of it's weakness against certain types," Paul then took another sip of his coffee.

"I see... You've really been planning well then. You'll be great, Paul," Reggie smiled and went back to cleaning the dishes. Paul watched him for a moment before he spoke again.

"I'm traveling through Kanto first though," Paul spoke.

_-CRASH-_

Paul watched his brother curiously. Reggie had been drying a dish and at the end of Paul's sentence... he'd dropped it in perhaps, surprise?

Finally Reggie seemed to snap out of his daze and bent down to pick up the pieces of the broken plate.

"Why... Why Kanto? If you don't mind me asking," Reggie said almost nervously.

Paul watched him silently for a moment more before he spoke, "The presence of a Turtwig should throw off some of the newer trainers while I build my early team. The Indigo League is where a lot of strong people go to compete, even outside the natives of Kanto... plus... I might run into Brandon... or... dad."

Reggie stood up and turned to face his younger brother. They looked at each other silently before Reggie sighed and looked at the clock.

"Look... Paul... I need to tell you something," Reggie spoke.

"So you do know something I don't," Paul interrupted. Reggie eyed him for a moment before speaking again.

"I don't want you to go to Kanto... I don't want you to follow blindly behind father's example..." Reggie muttered and dried the next dish more viciously.

"Why? Is it because you failed? Do you not want me to be successful and make dad proud?" Paul questioned with a slight growl.

"Of course not! Father is simply not someone you want to become like," Reggie growled back in frustration.

"Why!? Just because he liked strong pokemon above weak ones!?" Paul snapped.

"Yes! He simply cared too little for others! Besides, there are no weak or strong pokemon, Paul," Reggie spoke harshly and put down the new plate he had been trying to clean.

"The champions only have strong pokemon," Paul grumbled out.

"That's because they worked hard with them and learned to work with them and not the other way around," Reggie spoke.

"This is idiotic. I'm going to Kanto and you can't stop me," Paul spoke and got up.

Reggie was silent until, "I don't want you to give in to those tendencies Paul... I don't want you to become like father who can't even find it in himself to care for his own sons..."

Paul stopped from walking away and glanced at Reggie, "You talk as if father is a monster... He just liked strong pokemon and strong trainers... How is that a crime?"

"He let that dominate him Paul... He..." Reggie started but hesitated and looked out the window nearby. Sunlight was shining through.

"He what?" Paul asked, getting a bit impatient.

"Our last names are... Rebolledo... He changed them for us when we were young Paul... You were just too young to remember..." Reggie said and sighed.

"Why?" Paul asked. He was confused and a bit fearful of what he was suddenly being told.

"Because his last name is... Rocketto... He's the son of the Rocket Boss," Reggie said finally and held his head before dropping his hands and looking away, "We're the grandchildren of one of the most evil men in the world, Paul."

Paul froze externally but internally his mind was racing. _No... It just can__'__t be that... Dad... Dad can__'__t be..._

"Slyvester Rocketto, Silver is what he is most often called," Reggie sighed, "I just don't want to ever become like him. I really don't want that for you either Paul..."

"NO!"

Reggie turned in shock at Paul's sudden outburst.

"You're just making that all up! Dad isn't related to someone like him! You're just saying that to make yourself feel better! You failed Reggie, deal with it! I won't fail like you did," Paul said darkly, turned away and walked quickly up the stairs to his room.

Reggie sighed and picked up another plate to try and start cleaning them again. He stopped soon though and placed his hands, still holding the plate, down on the table and looked once more out the window.

_I wish I didn__'__t believe it either, Paul. He__'__s working on himself. Hopefully one day we__'__ll be a family again. I guess... I don__'__t want you to get lost... or for grandfather... no, that man... to find us, to find you, but you__'__re right. I can__'__t stop you. I can only hope that somewhere along the way you learn what__'__s right. You__'__re my brother. I only want what__'__s best for you. Power... isn__'__t the only thing in this world worth working and fighting for..._

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**So what do you think? That last sentence is the one Paul referenced in the Johto Arc when he took a hit for Dawn.**

**And again, Slyvester is just one of those lengthened names I came up with. Rocketto is also my idea since I could find a relatively common fan name for Giovanni's last name and Madam Boss didn't give a last name either.**


End file.
